Best Italian Restaurants in Calgary

Calgary's Italian dining scene is so great that we had to highlight 10 must-try restaurants.

By Julie Van Rosendaal

March 01, 2018

Pay a visit to Cotto in Kensington to try the pappardelle ragu, which is served with a braised meatball.

Photograph by Jared Sych

*Listed in alphabetical order.

Calgarians love Italian food. Feedback from our recent restaurant survey included so many fantastic Italian eateries that we decided to go for a full top 10 rather than limit the category to three. And because they all have equal billing in our hearts (and bellies) we've presented them here in alphabetical order.

Exceptional contemporary Italian dishes, a beautiful wine room that doubles as a private dining room and one of the nicest patios in the city — a Tuscan-style closed terrace out back — has made Bonterra a solid choice since 2000.

One of the city’s newest Italian joints (in an old brick building that has housed Italian restaurants for more than a decade), Cardinale offers unpretentious, well-prepared pastas, salads and classic but creative large plates. The inventive cocktails are made with Italian spirits and ingredients from the kitchen and make for a great start or finish to any meal.

A pillar of Calgary’s downtown arts district, Centini has served extraordinary, elegant Italian food since 2002, with three private dining rooms and a well-curated collection of contemporary Canadian art adding to the atmosphere.

In Mission and out in the city’s west end, Mercato has been a favourite among Calgarians ever since it expanded its fresh market to include a sit-down restaurant experience. Everything is made in-house in open kitchens that are pure gastronomical theatre.

A downtown Calgary institution, Teatro has been a go-to for business lunches and special-occasion dinners since 1993. With exceptional service and a stellar wine cellar, it’s a trusted fine-dining and event destination.